Sunday, December 15, 2013

What we want this year: VB's staff gift picks

Garrett McCollum of VentureBeat helped fill the room at the event. But he's alone here because the conference hasn't started yet. DEC. 4 - 5, 2013

Redwood City, CA

We've got our finger on the pulse of the gadgets-and-games world. So being collectively omniscient, what are the VentureBeat staff members' picks for their personal holiday wish lists?

Oh, we're so glad you asked.

MATT KOTLER, SALES: BICYCLE GLOVES WITH LED TURN SIGNALS

I'm pretty much freaked out about turning on any road at night on my bike. People do not see my reflective arms waving, "I'm goin' right!" That's why I want these gloves. I can light up LED lights on my hands and that's pretty awesome.

CHRISTINA FARR, EDITORIAL: A MISFIT SHINE

I'm style conscious, so I'm not overly keen on wearing an oversized, 21st-century calculator watch on my wrist. A company called Misfit Wearables has developed one of the few fitness-tracking wearables that caters to women -- it's jewel-like, and can be worn as a necklace, bracelet or brooch. Want!

AMY NICHOLS, EVENTS: A BLUE JAWBONE WRISTBAND

I really want one to help track my steps, physical activity, and what I'm eating. What I love about the Jawbone is it is stylish & thin, comes in my favorite color, blue, and won't clash if I'm wearing a cute outfit.

DAN "SHOE" HSU, GAMESBEAT: ARCADE STICKS FOR FIGHTING GAMES

Next-generation consoles are here, accompanied by next-generation fighting games like Killer Instinct and Injustice: Gods Among Us. As great as the new joypads are for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, they just don't compare to the heavy-duty monsters that are Mad Catz' fighting sticks for a true, arcade-like experience. If you're looking to get me a nice Christmas gift, I'll need four, please -- two for each system! Thanks in advance.

SHANNON DOW, EVENTS: A BETTER BLENDER

I'd love a Magic Bullet or less expensive version of it. Basically, a personal little blender that I can detach and bring to work with me. Reason: My current blender is huge, annoying to clean, and I never have enough time in the morning to clean it and put it away (which I'm sure my roommates are thrilled about).

DYLAN TWENEY, EDITORIAL: JAWBONE UP24 FITNESS-TRACKING BAND

I'm a pretty active guy. I bike to and from work every day, go on runs a few times a week, and walk everywhere I can. But I can't help but feel like all that activity would be so much more meaningful, somehow, if I could just record it. That, plus the fact that the Up24 looks sleek, syncs wirelessly, and is appearing on the wrists of many of my friends makes me feel like I'm missing out on something big. Does that make me shallow? I want one anyway.

DEAN TAKAHASHI, GAMESBEAT: GAMER-GEEK GEAR

Ok, if we're doing silly things, here's mine.

I want a 3D printer and software that can capture the scene of my greatest moment of triumph in Call of Duty, freeze it in time, and then print it out as a 3D scene. If we can't do the whole scene, I'll settle for my avatar's exact pose during that moment of triumph.

If we want something closer to real:

I want a voice microphone headset that can capture quiet speech so that I can play a high-adrenaline game late at night without waking the family. I want to be able to hear the sounds of crashing helicopters and gunfire in my headset, but have the microphone be sensitive enough to pick up a whisper. This is all in the name of keeping peace in the family.